The Chicago Bulls received a lot of criticism for trading Zach LaVine to the Kings for what seemed like a meager return at the time, but it has quickly proved to be a great decision.
LaVine is not a bad player by any means, but his huge contract made it hard to build the roster around him. The players the Bulls received in return have also played better than their trade value, and have guided the Bulls in finding a promising new direction.
LaVine’s time with the Bulls was over
Let’s look at the Bulls’ full return for LaVine: Zach Collins, Tre Jones, Kevin Huerter, and their own 2025 first-round pick (which became Noa Essengue).